If your computer had a virus, you’d want to know about it ASAP, right? Before your important files become corrupted, you lose your photos and your digital life is essentially destroyed? Of course, you would! Even thinking about it is terrifying.
Tech scammers know we’d be lost without our computers, and that we don’t always know what’s going on behind the screen - which is why they’ve been able to swindle millions from every day people across the world.

The Scam Goes Like This: You receive a random phone call from someone saying they’re from Microsoft, or an alarming pop-up appears on the screen, saying it looks like your system has been infected with a virus.  To fix the problem, they need to you to download some support software, which they’ll give you a special link for. A technician then uses that software to gain access to your system and make it appear that your system is riddled with viruses. Flashing screens, mysterious diagnostics whizzing by, fabricated errors… they’ll do or say anything to make you panic. They’ll even go as far as claiming your system has been infected with illegal content and if not corrected, you’ll face criminal charges.
Demands for payment information follow immediately after. Once paid, they simply stop fiddling with your system to make it seem the problem is fixed. To continue the scam, they’ll soon access your system to recreate the problem, this time offering a subscription for ongoing protection. They may also configure a special password on the system to prevent you from using it until you’ve paid them.

What to Do If You’re Targeted by A Tech Scam
1. Do not engage them in conversation. If you hear “We are calling from Microsoft…” or “This is Dell tech support…” or some variation thereof, hang up immediately. They will probably call back, but don’t answer. Make a note of the phone number so you can report them to the FTC. Note that the phone number is usually falsified and may appear to be a local number. CallerID is also usually faked, so don’t rely on that either. Despite this, it is helpful to have this information when filing a complaint.

2. Don’t taunt them. Just hang up. Right now, you’re only a phone number in their system and they’ll move onto the next – if you give them cause to target you personally, you may find yourself in a dangerous situation. Remember that they will often call back, even if you hang up on them.

3. If a pop-up appears on your screen, note the website you were on then restart your computer and run an anti-virus scan. Don’t click the pop-up or call the number. If you’re not certain you have antivirus or don’t know how to use it, give us a call, we’ll be glad to help.

4. You can report them to the Federal Trade Commission. Visit FTC.gov/complaint to submit a report.

What to Do If You’ve Already Been Scammed
It’s okay. It feels horrible, but you’re not alone and the situation can be corrected. Start by calling your financial institution to have the charges reversed and your card reissued. It’s easier than you might think and helps the authorities locate the scammers. Then give us a call and we’ll make sure they no longer have access to your computer. If you granted remote access to your computer or gave them any personal details, then you should assume that your passwords have been compromised and they should be changed as soon as possible. Note that this should be done on a clean, trusted computer in the event that a keylogger or other monitoring software was placed on your system.

Beware the Refund Scam:
If you paid for these so-called tech support services, then you might get a call about a refund; this call is likely a scam as well. Do not give the caller any personal or financial information. The refund scam works like this: Some time after a purchase (days, weeks, or months later), you receive a call to ask if you were satisfied with the service. If you say “No”, the scammer will then offer a refund. Or, the caller may say that the company is going out of business and giving refunds. The scammer eventually asks for your bank or credit card account number to process your refund. They might also request access to your bank account to make a deposit. But instead of putting money in your account, the scammer takes money from your account. If you get a call like this, hang up, and report it.

Don’t pay for fake tech support, get rock-solid IT support from Yellowstone Computing!

Last year I price-checked most the “Black Friday Deals” in advertisements on computers being sold at the Big Box stores in the area. Want to know the low-down on those Black Friday Deals? They weren’t such a great deal after all. Surprisingly, if you went to the manufacture’s web site and priced out the same systems, you could get the same deal straight from them, and occasionally for a slightly better price. That’s right, you could avoid the crowds and chaos on a day when you might prefer stopping by the local Christmas tree farm with your family to find that prized spruce and sip a hot cocoa, or take another shot at that buck you hoped would be in your freezer for the winter. So don’t just assume that Black Friday deals are all they’re cracked up to be. Research has shown that most electronics (especially TVs) are usually older models that retailers want to clear out. When something truly new and “hot” is advertised, the quantity is extremely limited; this is just a lure to get you into their store. Is it really worth spending time fighting the crowds of crazies just for a chance to get some gadget? Shop smarter; the Black Friday deals are advertised well in advance so you can do your homework by checking other locations and websites for the same product. When possible, use the model number of the device to ensure the comparisons you make are accurate. Simply going by the sales description is a bad idea because they are purposefully vague. Get the model number and check the manufacturer’s website to verify what you’re getting.
Better yet, come to us for your computer needs. Why? We can offer you a better deal than Big Box Mart. Here some are reasons why:

Price
Rather than sell you the highest priced device we can talk you into, we work with your budget to find the best value at that price. Not only that, but our pricing is at or below what the big stores offer daily anyway, AND we give each client truly personalized service. Customers aren’t just another addition to the sales quota, they are our friends and neighbors, people we see every week. Wouldn’t you rather shop with a friend?

Needs
Instead of simply selling you something with all sorts of bells and whistles, we discuss how you use your computer and customize our suggestions to what you actually need, not what stock we need to clear out. Computers are a tool; don’t you want the right one for the job?

Personal Setup
Want your files transferred? Need a backup of your old computer? Want virus software that is top-rated, vs. just what the store makes the most profit on? Want to remove the unnecessary programs that are advertisement add-ons to your computer? We take the worry and hassle out of setting up a new computer by doing it for you. We even offer delivery and onsite setup!
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Quality
My father taught me it’s better to spend a little more money on a quality product than a little less on a cheap alternative and have to buy it twice. While many people consider a cheaper product to be a better deal, we prefer to offer higher quality products to our customers. Why? Because they are happier with a quality product for a longer time than they are with a cheaper product once the thrill of the price goes away.

Please note that our office will be closed Thursday through Saturday this week (November 23-26th) as we spend time with our families during the Thanksgiving holiday. Enjoy your time with family!
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We all love Google, quickly finding everything we need on the Internet. It’s replaced dictionaries, encyclopedias, instruction manuals, newspapers and in many cases, even doctors. However, sometimes your search results aren’t the real thing and can be downright malicious. Here’s how to search safely:

Pay Attention to the URL in Google
Below every result title there’s a URL in green.  No matter what the title says, this URL is where your click will take you. Unfortunately, cyber-criminals will often list their site with a familiar and trusted title but link you to their scam/malware pages.

For example, the title could be your bank name (eg, Example Bank), which seems legitimate, but the URL could be www.baabpjhg(dot)com which is obviously not your bank. Sometimes they’ll attempt to trick you by putting the real site into the link too, eg www.baabpjhg(dot)com/examplebank.com which makes it even more likely to catch you when skimming through results quickly. When you visit the page, it might look exactly like your bank’s site and ask for your login details, which are then harvested for attack. While gibberish in the link is pretty easy to spot, sometimes they’ll take advantage of a small typo that you can easily miss. For example, www.exampebank(dot)com (missing the letter L). Another way to avoid this is to enter the URL of the site you want to visit directly in the address bar, instead of searching for the site.

Notice Google Search Results vs Paid Ads
Google does a pretty good job at making sure the most relevant and legitimate sites are at the top of the list. However paid ads will usually appear above them. Most of the time, these paid ads are also legitimate (and you can quickly check the URL to verify), but occasionally cybercriminals are able to promote their malicious site to the top and catch thousands of victims before being removed.

Believe Google’s Malicious Site Alerts
Sometimes Google knows when something is wrong with a site. It could be a legitimate site that was recently hacked, a security setting that’s malfunctioned, or the site was reported to them as compromised. When this happens, Google stops you clicking through with a message saying, “this website may be harmful” or “this site may harm your computer”. Stop immediately, and trust that Google has detected something you don’t want in your house.

Enable Safe Search
You can filter out explicit results by turning on Google Safe Search. While not strictly a cyber-security issue, it can still provide a safer Google experience. Safe Search is normally suggested as a way to protect browsing children, but it also helps adults who aren’t interested in having their search results cluttered with inappropriate links, many of which lead to high-risk sites. Switch Safe Search on/off by clicking Settings > Safe Search.

The invention of Wi-Fi has been a science fiction dream come true. We can use our laptops anywhere in the house, our phones are using home Internet instead of sucking down our cellular data, and our gadgets are all communicating. It’s essentially the backbone of the smart tech boom for home and business alike. Most networks are password-protected with an encryption called “WPA2” and this has been safe and secure, until now.

Recently, a security flaw called KRACK was discovered that allows hackers to break into Wi-Fi networks – even the secured ones. Your laptop, mobile phone, gaming console and even your smart fridge are possibly vulnerable as a result.

How KRACK Works: The Key Reinstallation AttaCK isn’t a problem with your device or how it was set up. It’s a problem with the Wi-Fi technology itself. The attack gets between your device and the access point (e.g. router) to reset the encryption key so hackers can view all network traffic in plain text. Since we rely on Wi-Fi so much, this might mean hackers have a front row seat to your credit card numbers, passwords, chat messages, emails, photos and more.
NOTE: The hacker must be in physical range of your Wi-fi to exploit this flaw, it doesn’t work remotely like other attacks we’ve seen recently. Given most Wi-Fi ranges extend well past your own home/business, this is small comfort, but important to know.

How to Protect Yourself

Run Your Updates: Software updates are being released which fix the flaw. Microsoft has already released one for Windows, Apple has one coming in a few weeks. Take a few minutes to make sure you’re up to date with all your patches on any device that uses Wi-Fi (your smartphones, laptops, tablets, PCs, game consoles, etc.). Unfortunately, some devices may be slow to get an update, or if they’re older, may not get an update to fix this issue at all. If possible, consider using a cabled connection on those older devices or upgrade to one with support.

Be Very Careful With Public Wi-Fi: While your local business center, library or school campus has expert IT professionals keeping guard over your security, it’s a very different matter at your local coffee shop. It’s unlikely small locations such as this will be on top of security patches. Remember, a hacker exploiting this flaw only needs to be in the same Wi-Fi area as you, so be careful you don’t give them a dollop of private information with their coffee.

Check your browser security: Before sending anything secure over the internet, check that you’re using a HTTPS site. You’ll know these by the little padlock you see next to the URL, and the address specifically begins with HTTPS. Major sites like Facebook, Gmail and financial institutions already use HTTPS. 
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If you need help updating your devices, or want us to check if you’re safe, give us a call at 715-255-0325.

In Security Knowledge by Jareth on September 29, 2017
As part of National Cyber Security Awareness Month, we are featuring an article from Emsisoft that takes a detailed look at Trojan Horse infections. Last week, we looked at how Trojan Horses work and at the different forms they can take. This week, we review their distribution methods and how you can avoid them.

What Are the Most Common Trojan Infection Points?
Because trojans are not capable of replicating or spreading themselves independently, they require user input to be successful. Of course, few users are willingly going to play a role in downloading and installing malicious software on their own system, so hackers have to use disguises and deceit to coerce you into running their software. Trojans generally camouflage themselves as harmless software or hide among the lines of code written within real, legitimate software.
Generally speaking, there are three main ways that Trojans are distributed online:

1. Downloaded Software
Trojan horses are frequently uploaded to websites that provide free software both legally (such as shareware applications) and illegally (such as pirated software). Due to the sheer number of programs that are uploaded to these sites, it’s not always possible for site owners to check that every piece of software is safe and secure, and as a result many Trojan-containing applications slip through the cracks. When you, the user, download and install the software – even if it’s from an otherwise reputable site such as the CCleaner example we mentioned above – there’s a risk that you could be unleashing a Trojan on your system.

2. Email Attachment
Your emails are another common source of Trojan infections. Cyber criminals send out convincing messages that appear to be from widely known, trustworthy companies (say, Microsoft, Amazon or similar) and attach Trojans disguised as an ordinary file such as an image, video, mp3, or download link. After you execute the file, the malware is free to run rampant.

3. Instant Messaging
Instant messaging services are home to their fair share of Trojans. In August, we saw a resurgence of the classic fake Facebook video trojan, a malware disguised as a video sent via Facebook Messenger to other people on the infected machine’s friend list. When users click the fake video, they’re prompted to download a file which, when executed, releases the Trojan.
Instant messaging is particularly effective as a distribution channel because the chat is so casual and fast paced. In this sort of environment, it’s easy to let your guard down and may make you more liable to click harmful links and download files without the same precautions as you would elsewhere on the web. 
 
Trojan Virus Removal and Protection
Unsurprisingly, you are the first and most effective line of defense when it comes to Trojan protection. Adopting safe browsing habits and exercising a high level of caution online can go a long way toward reducing your risk of infection and should be an important part of every IT security plan.

Safe browsing habits might include:
Avoiding pirated software and piracy-related websites.
Only downloading software from reputable sources.
Triple checking email attachments before opening.
Being wary of unsolicited messages on social media and instant messaging services.
Checking file extensions before opening any file (no image should end in .exe!).
Being conscious of what you click on when browsing the web.
While you might be leading the charge, the good news is that there are a number of tools that can help you in the battle against Trojans. For example, reputable IT security solutions can prevent them from penetrating your defenses and remove any malicious software that may have crept in while another antivirus product was supposed to be keeping watch.
In addition, ensuring the Windows Firewall (or a comparably comprehensive product) is active and configured correctly to block unsolicited connections can further reduce the chances of a Trojan breaching the wall. Finally, keeping your operating system, web browser and other software up to date is vital for reducing potential security vulnerabilities and minimizing the risk of becoming the victim of a zero-day exploit.

Leaving the Horse Outside
The ancient people of Troy lost their city when their defense system failed to see through their enemy’s disguise and recognize the Trojan horse for the threat it really was.
Don’t let history repeat itself. With the information in this blog post, your citadel guards (you!) will be better equipped to identify potential threats, bolster your computer’s defenses and keep your system safe from the ongoing Trojan threat.

We know that keeping your computer and software up to date can be complicated and bothersome, that’s why we developed our Service Plans, to help you stay safe and up to date! We start with a fresh Tune Up of your computer, then add our monthly Service Plan to keep things running smooth. Call or email us today to secure your system!